MPCA Does (or Doesn't) Again

The MPCA Board under the leadership (control) of President Glenn Cartledge again neglected its duty to appoint a nominating committee to create a slate for our election in April. Mr. Cartledge finally appointed a committee last year (two months late and after much prodding). According to the by-laws, the committee must be appointed in January, which allows time to find interested, qualified volunteers. It appears Mr. Cartledge plans to hand-pick his successor and will personally fill any vacancies on the Board.

Equally detrimental to the vitality of the MPCA, April's bi-annual meeting date has not been announced. The MPCA has a long history of delaying public notification of meetings in which action could be taken. This has the effect of minimizing turnout mostly to insiders.

Board meetings, theoretically open to the entire membership, are rarely announced in advance. There are seldom if ever, reports to the membership on Board actions.

The MPCA must encourage wider interest and participation through communication. Why not have a real website with regularly updated useful information that also permits discussion and feedback?  Peachtree Battle Alliance is a good example. There's enough money in the MPCA account to pay for some web space and features.

As someone once said, "Sunlight is the best disinfectant."

TIME TO PARTY!

Our neighborhood seems to be in its own little financial bubble. Here, it is 2005, or maybe 1985. Memorial Park Civic Association President Glenn Cartledge noted in his last newsletter that while unfortunate events were "swirling around us," life is good here and everyone is doing fine.

I'll leave it to each of us to define his own personal situation as to job security, income, asset performance, property values, debt-to-income ratio and general outlook on the future. I can say with certainty that municipal services have been cut back while taxes and fees are up. Several homes have sold recently at prices that might be considered somewhat disappointing compared to prices of a few years ago.

The MPCA, however, seems to be the recipient of TARP funding, or at least our Board is in a Wall Street state of mind.

I'm referring to the MPCA financial report for the year ending 5/31/09. More than 50% of dues income was spent on parties.

Summary: $4,715 was collected in voluntary membership dues, plus $650 in (non tax-deductible) extra donations from some very generous neighbors for a total of $5,678.00.

Partying expenses totaled a net of about $3000 for four events -- three of which were designed for the entertainment of young children. Although more than half of Memorial Park members list children in their households, only a third have kids in the age group that would be caught dead at a kiddie party. The rest are hanging out with their friends, playing video games or are off at college.

I humbly suggest that these funds could more appropriately be used in ways that would enhance the safety, cleanliness, appearance and quality of life of the Memorial Park neighborhood for a larger number of residents. Instead, most of the budget is squandered on junk food and junk distractions with little or no remaining value besides adding to the waste stream and arguably contributing to animal abuse.

The MPCA Social Committee, which seems to have carte blanche, chose to have the annual picnic catered by the Varsity rather than doing a covered dish event, with an artificial ticket price cap of $10 per family. That single event had a staggering deficit of more than $1,100 -- 20% of annual dues revenue! Surely, there is a better use for our common funds.

The Halloween party came in at a little under $400, complete with unnecessary hired security. It was followed by an evening of trick-or-treating, which itself is a children's Halloween party. The party was a $400 redundancy, and the expenditure even more ridiculous because everyone in the neighborhood purchased a ton of candy for that specific evening to give to those same children. If we are going to spend $400 on candy and a party for the kids, then why not do it on Valentine's Day or Easter! Spread the potential tooth decay out a little more year-round. (The Christmas "sleigh ride" is only about 6 weeks after Halloween. The tab for that was $800.)

Maybe throwing parties is the MPCA's stimulus policy, sort of a WPA for the 21st century. I guess it gives the party planners a job.

It might be a good idea for the Board to open each meeting by reading the purpose of the MPCA as it is written into the by-laws, just to keep the association on track.

Someone will have to be to bring a copy to the meetings, if anyone has one.

Neighborhood Meeting Set for 4/28

The Bi-annual meeting of the Memorial Park Civic Association has been scheduled for Tuesday April 28, at the Northside United Methodist Church, 2799 Northside Drive.

We have been promised a special board meeting in March to create an agenda. Keep watching for the date, time and location.

Four vacancies are up for election to the seven-member MPCA board of directors at the April meeting. The board should have appointed a nominating committee in January, composed of three people from the general community. The by-laws specifically require the creation of this committee in the month of January.

The reason for a nominating committee is to insert some outside influence into the process and keep the board from being insular and self-perpetuating. As it is, when there is a vacancy during the term, the board can appoint someone to fill it, but even that small power has been overridden repeatedly by President Glenn Cartledge, due to the rest of the board's extreme acquiescence to his bidding.

There has been no announcement of a nominating committee and no announcement of a slate, just like last year, when democracy and inclusiveness were discarded in favor of a hand-picked board.

I keep my ear close to the ground, and have not heard of anyone being asked to serve on a committee, nor have I heard of any slate. The board certainly has not communicated on this or any subject. There has been no call for volunteers to serve. There has been no report from their meeting Thursday night or any other meeting since the October meeting, which wasn't actually reported either for those who didn't attend. In fact, there has been no newsletter in many months. One has been promised soon, though.

I am guessing that all the current board whose terms are expiring, Loulie Reese, Lesley Wainwright, Lynda Houser and Bill Warren, will be reaffirmed for another term and the current situation of absolute unity will be perpetuated. (If I'm wrong, I'll be more than happy to say so.)

I'm not saying that anything is wrong with those four, or that they ought not have another term. They have all done stellar work for the community. It's just that, as former association treasurer Bill Hope famously said, "the process ought to be followed."

Also, it wouldn't hurt for every single board member to open their mouths once in a while and have something come out that didn't originate from Mr. Cartledge's brain.

New Face in the Neighborhood

As a result of some recent rearranging of routes by the USPS, we have a new mail carrier for Memorial Park. She's already noticed the sorting issues around the similarities between Wesley Drive and Wellesley Drive, having so many of the same numbers.

Welcome to the neighborhood, Regina, and thanks for your service to our community. I hope you will enjoy your time in Memorial Park.

Solid Waste Pickup

The cutback of solid waste pickup has gone into effect. If your regular pickup day for your regular household trash pickup (Herbie the Curbie) has been Monday through Thursday, it will remain the same, and that is still going to be weekly -- at present. Those who had a Friday pickup are supposed to have been notified of their new scheduled day by the City of Atlanta Public Works Department. (The City doesn't work on Fridays any more.) Good luck.

Recycling pickup has been cut back to every other week, as has yard-waste pickup.

Please be advised: recycling pickup for Memorial Park will be THIS WEEK, and every other week hereafter. If your trash pickup is tomorrow (Wednesday) your recycling will be picked up tomorrow. If your trash pickup is Thursday, recycling will be picked up Thursday.

Yard waste pickup will be NEXT WEEK, and every other week thereafter.


Disclaimer: I am passing along the information that has been received from those who seem to be in a position to know. They may also be misinformed. We try our best.

Update on the MPCA

It seems our Esteemed Board changed a bit from the planned budget that was sent out with the plea for our membership renewals last summer. At that time they projected $2000 for those children's parties I wrote about at the time and in my last post. I assumed that since the budget had officially passed and nothing was said about any change at the October 14th, 2008 meeting (did I miss it?) the parties had gone on as planned.

We have recently received a report showing actual and much more modest expenditure for the Halloween Party, and a somewhat less extravagant Christmas party (About $800). The original budgeted amount for the Halloween parties (2) was indeed $1000 and not $500 as now stated, but according to the report, only $370 was spent!

I don't know whether the expense of obtaining legal Police permits for street closings --when the parties were confined to private yards during daylight--- and the hiring of off-duty Atlanta Police officers for several hours to close only Wellesley and Woodley, while I suppose the charmingly costumed children traipsing down Riada and Wesley were vulnerable to terrible risk is included in the total, or is tucked away in some other area, such as "neighborhood care," or "security."

I applaud the Board for spending more wisely. These are different times. Now I suggest that the Board continue to communicate with the neighborhood. (I would also like to thank Mrs. Loulie Reese for her informative e-mails. Hopefully, everyone is getting them, and not just the people who have signed up for the Security Patrol. In any event, this is a very important service that has been neglected and should be increased.)


The next announcement from the MPCA hopefully will be the time, place and proposed agenda of the next board meeting. One never knows if someone might care enough to volunteer their time and services. People may want to have input when there is an issue that affects their home. Someone might even have a good idea or two.

But at the very minimum after the Board has met, the membership deserves a report on action that has been taken. That is not too much to ask.

A VERY Modest Proposal *

The neighborhood recently got an email from MPCA President Glenn Cartledge, vaguely implying MPCA support --Mr. Cartledge is nothing if not vague-- for a "petition" against the planned closing of Firestation #23 on Howell Mill Road. The email said (exact wording is his, but the emphasis is mine):

Dear MPCA Neighbors,
I have had several emails from NPU as well as MPCA members requesting distribution of this petition. The link is the website below and is easy as pie to sign. Also read up on the issue below as well.
Thanks,
Glenn Cartledge

There was a link to a statement against the closing on an advertising-sponsored petition websites. (Readers may view the entries and add their names if they choose.) The email included a news release from an Atlanta Firefighters organization about the closing and other planned cutbacks, although it didn't mention collecting signatures.

The City of Atlanta has scheduled closing the fire station for the remainder of this fiscal year. Firestation #7 (West End) and others have been closed altogether. Public safety services have been cut back. Responses to police, fire and ambulance calls will be slower.

Letters and phone calls might have some impact on the situation, although they are not quite "easy as pie." I'm not sure how digital "signatures" that could be instantly created on any computer anywhere in the world would be of passing interest to a decision-maker, if and when they ever make it to Mayor Franklin's desk.

As MPCA President, Mr. Cartledge, when speaking ex officio might want to put a little thought behind his recommendations, especially when it comes to public safety. He took a couple of seconds to forward a well-meaning, but nevertheless ineffective internet petition which I suppose makes people feel they are accomplishing something in a frustrating situation. At this posting, two weeks after sending the "easy as pie" e-mail, Mr. Cartledge hadn't yet added his own name to the list, however.

There was a community meeting with elected officials, residents and community leaders to discuss the fire station closing. Mr. Cartledge did not attend, nor did he send a representative.

(Not one of the seven members of the MPCA Board managed to attend the recent regularly scheduled Neighborhood Planning Unit (NPU) meeting, nor did anyone find out what occurred and report to the community, even though several items directly affecting this neighborhood were on the published agenda.

But I digress...

At the meeting about the fire station, someone suggested that private funds be raised to make up the shortfall to keep protection available. The feasibility of this was not clear because the legislative branch was busy deflecting responsibility toward the executive (see story). People had tried this solution without success to save Firestation #7. (The Mt. Paran Civic Association was able to raise $195,000 to fund repairs for their neighborhood fire station and found a legal means of getting City Hall to accept their donation. In fact, one of their members who is an architect, donated his talents to the renovation of the station!)

But this did get me thinking about priorities -- about how the MPCA recently spent $1000 of our relatively small annual budget for two parties for young children who were getting ready to go out that evening and collect more junk food on Halloween night. A few weeks later on December 7th, the MPCA spent another $1000 for a couple of hours for what was loosely termed a "sleigh ride" around the neighborhood mostly for young kids. We had the recent "adult social," attended by fewer than a third of the members. It was a delightful evening, but it is overkill to finance ALL these social events from MPCA dues which are $40 per household per year. I believe there are approximately 115 member households.

There is also the Annual Spring Picnic. Last year attendees were asked to defray expenses by purchasing tickets and bringing a side dish. (Perhaps the event broke even.) The board still has on its agenda a proposal for something called "Movie in the Park" which is projected to cost between $750-$1000 for a few hours of (again) children's entertainment.

How many social events should the MPCA sponsor? I'm sure the combined creative, intellectual and political talents of this community could design more thoughtful projects that would have long-lasting value for Memorial Park, might be more inclusive, and perhaps benefit households other than those with small children (who will inexorably age into adolescence before we know it).

(Frankly, I find odd that a pre-trick-or-treat party costs $1000. There was no site rental. I hope there was no alcohol served. Was there a disc jockey? Valet Parking? Filet mignon? Professional party planner?)

This kind of spending must be reconsidered. The MPCA is not a social organization. It is a civic organization. Every member has a directory and is free to throw a party at any time -- a potluck event or the host can fund it if he or she desires and can afford it. The amount of money that is budgeted for social events is out of line with other civic associations on the Northside and is not focused appropriately. Other associations make capital improvements. The MPCA fritters away its funds, and in fact spends more than 50% of its budget on a temporary benefit for one segment. (If I didn't know better, I'd imagine that the MPCA Board is spending money to curry favor and buy votes. But that makes no sense at all, does it?)

In contrast the dog waste bag dispensers the MPCA installed and services help keep the park as well as private lawns clean. This is a benefit whether one is a dog owner, or whether one walks around the park. The expenditure benefits the community at large by preventing the spread of disease. It costs less for the whole year than a single party, but the bags are used 365 days per year.

We might donate some money to fire station #23. If that's a lost cause, how about #26, the station that serves our homes, and is not yet scheduled to be closed.

In the alternative, we could find a way to improve the neighborhood by replacing missing street signs, increasing our security, or hiring a landscaping service to fill in for further reduced personnel and hours of the Parks Department.

The children of this neighborhood will be far better served if their homes are safe and protected. They will ultimately do better growing up in a stable, clean, attractive, less polluted environment. Their futures will be better insured if the value of all our homes are protected and improved and the appearance of the neighborhood is maintained. Simply put, the Board should start taking their duties seriously.

If all else fails, reduce the dues. I'm sure most residents can use their own money to improve their curb appeal themselves. The kids will survive. It's my personal opinion they can manage with one or two less meals of junk food, or goody bags of cheap plastic toys. They won't miss one more face-painting.

Nobody is suggesting that they be put on a diet of gruel or sent to work in factories.

*with apologies to Jonathan Swift

City of Atlanta Cutbacks

Atlanta City Government has cut back to a four-day work week, except for the most essential public safety services. City Hall was mostly dark Friday. Phones went unanswered and e-mails got automated responses. Mitchell Street was ghostly.

This is going to result in some very serious problems for all of Atlanta, the least of which is that it is unlikely that permits or variances are going to be granted on a timely basis, especially those that are scheduled to be heard on a Friday. The Planning Department staff will be working only Monday-Thursday until further notice.

The sewer project has been shut down. Whether this is due to the recent spill of toxic waste into Peachtree Creek as indicated by the yellow caution tape and warning signs posted along Wesley Drive, or lack of funds to finish the work is unknown. Watershed Management remains silent.